Recent Editorial Content

Group tests of Twitter clients on any platform are always a little transient on any platform because of Twitter's own (crazy) client token limits, meaning that any third party application that gets really popular effectively gets shut down when it gets to 100,000 users. Such was the fate of several applications on Windows Phone, with Mehdoh and Rowi bowing out for this and other reasons. Begging the question at the end of March 2015, with a very serviceable first party client for the platform, of whether it's worth going third party at all any more and if so, which application to choose? This is my much updated look at Twitter clients, now with six apps in the mix.

In their latest blog post, the folks at AdDuplex have painted a picture of the low end of Windows Phone dominating more and more as time goes on, i.e. in terms of price and spec. While this is an interesting data point, it certainly doesn't tell the whole story, and I thought some balancing caveats were in order. Just what are the proportions of Windows Phones/Lumias out there?

In AAWP Insight #132, hosted by Steve and Rafe, our main topic of conversation revolves around the low end Lumia 430 and 435. We talk about the latest addition to Microsoft's Lumia device portfolio, consider the overall state of low end smartphones, and how things have changed over the last few years. We also cover some of the highlights from the WinHEC event in China, and look forward to a flagship comparison next week.

WinHEC stands for the Windows Hardware Engineering Community (WinHEC) and is where Microsoft and invited companies and 'experts' come together to 'educate, facilitate the exchange of ideas and give people a venue to share best practices and discuss future opportunities'. This year it was held on the 18th-19th March and details of what was announced (mainly around Windows 10 for PCs, tablets and phones) and discussed have been trickling out online. A summary is, we thought, in order.

You may remember that, back in Autumn 2014, I did a couple of companion articles, looking at 10 reasons why anyone WOULD choose a Windows Phone over the competition, and then 10 reasons why they WOULDN'T? Things change fast in the smartphone world, with Windows 10 now a reality and the competition fiercer than ever, which is why I thought an update of both lists and a new verdict was in order....

A slightly belated head to head, but with Denim arriving for the 930, it's worth taking a look at the wider world beyond its Cyan launch. Overshadowing things this time is a massive price difference though - the Lumia 930 is now just over £300 in some places, under this if you shop around, while the Apple iPhone 6, not that much newer, hasn't really come down since launch and still sits at a whopping £619*, both SIM-free etc. Windows Phone or iOS - that's part of the equation, of course, but there's plenty of component choice to comment on below.

In AAWP Insight #131, hosted by Steve and Rafe, our main topic of conversation revolves around Steve's speculation about the Lumia 940. Rafe looks into his own crystal ball and also tries to predict what some of the changes and additions will be in the next Windows Phone flagship. We also cover the arrival of Microsoft Band in the UK, and finish with some app coverage for Aeries, Audible, and CastCenter.

No time machine this time, just a little crystal ball gazing. Microsoft has said from the MWC stage that a flagship Windows 10 (for phones) smartphone is coming, has said elsewhere that it will be powered by a Snapdragon 810, that Windows 10 itself will arrive 'in the summer', and we can guess a time frame of very early Autumn 2015 for mobile hardware. But what else will be in the presumed 'Lumia 940' and what chance will it stand in the marketplace?